,:~:§%@@##                                          ##@@%§:~:,
,,,,,~:%@@                                          @@%:~,,,,,
,:~~::%%@@                                          @@%%::~~:,
,:~:§%@@##                                          ##@@%§:~:,
,:~:§%@@##                                          ##@@%§:~:,
,:~:§%@@##             ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,             ##@@%§:~:,
,:~:§%@@##             THE ALVAR FIELDS             ##@@%§:~:,
,:~:§%@@@@             %%%##########%%%             @@@@%§:~:,
,:~~~:%%%@                                          @%%%:~~~:,
,:~:§%@@## FROM   NORTH   TO   SOUTH,   THIRTY  ODD ##@@%§:~:,
,:~:§%%@@@ KILOMETERS.  FROM  WEST  TO  EAST,  FOUR @@@%%§:~:,
,,,:~~:%%@ THOUSAND  METERS. FROM TOPSOIL TO STONE, @%%:~~:,,,
,,,,,,:~§@ A  FOOT OR TWO. NO ROOTS CAN FESTER,  NO @§~:,,,,,,
,:~:§%@@##             DUST CAN LINGER.             ##@@%§:~:,
,:~:§%%%%@                                          @%%%%§:~:,
,,,,:~:§@@ HERE  IS  EARTH,  CLAY, AND  STURDY  LOW @@§:~:,,,,
,:~:§%@@## PLANTS.  BUSHES  FRAME  THE  STRIP.  THE ##@@%§:~:,
,:~:§%@@## EARTH  IS BARE IN PATCHES  AS  LARGE  AS ##@@%§:~:,
,:~:§%@@##                YOU AND ME.               ##@@%§:~:,
,:~:§%@@##                                          ##@@%§:~:,
,:~:§%@@## CROSS IT TO GET  TO THE  OCEAN, OR DON'T ##@@%§:~:,
,:~:§%@@##          TO STAY WHERE YOU ARE.          ##@@%§:~:,
,,,,,~§%%@                                          @%%§~,,,,,
,:~:§%@@##                                          ##@@%§:~:,
,:~:§%@@##                                          ##@@%§:~:,
,::~:§§@@#                                          #@@§§:~::,
,:~:§%@@##                                          ##@@%§:~:,
,,,,,:~:§@                                          @§:~:,,,,,